Here’s the kind of story that makes you feel good about college athletics and the young men who play them:

Dennis Godfrey is a senior offensive tackle for the Wake Forest football team who comes from the Sandhills town of Sanford. Although he and his family weren’t directly affected by the tornado outbreak that ravaged our state Saturday, he was so moved by the lives it shattered and the damage that was done to his hometown that he’s decided to do something to help.

Godfrey has organized a relief drive on the Wake campus that will help collect food and clothing items to be distributed to tornado victims. Items will be collected Thursday afternoon at Hearn Plaza, in front of Wait Chapel. The football player and some of his Deacon teammates plan to drive the items to Sanford on Friday.

“It really hit home because you just don’t think something like that could happen in Sanford,” Godfrey, a 6-foot-3, 335-pound history major, said. “But I’m not doing it just for Sanford, but also for the other 26 counties that got hit hard.”

Godfrey

Godfrey had just finished playing in the Deacons’ spring game when the F-3 storm that left a path of destruction through Lee County. He learned of the tragedy with a phone call while he and his family were having dinner together in Winston-Salem.

The news was shocking.

His cousin, Jeff Petty, lost his house and Petty’s mother broke both of her legs, according to a release issued by the Wake Forest sports information office. Godfrey’s sister had her place of business destroyed by the storm and many of his friends also lost their homes and possessions.

Once the reality of the situation began to sink in, Godfrey called upon the skills he learned during his days in the Boys and Girls Club to try to make things better.

“We were always collecting canned goods to give to people,” he said. “But this, for me, this is something that really hit home. You don’t expect something like this to happen in Sanford. If my family wasn’t up here when they were . . . Sanford isn’t a huge place. Nobody knew where Sanford was until this.

“I had some hard times growing up in Sanford. They’ve always been there, supporting me. I feel like this is my opportunity to give back to my community and wherever I go, Sanford will always be a part of me.”